There are many different types of towing hitch apparatuses and configurations in use today which are attached to the back end of cars, trucks and other vehicles to allow the vehicle to be used to tow a multitude of different types of trailers.
In order to allow maneuverability of the vehicle and the trailer, and in order to avoid interference of the vehicle with the trailer, especially while making sharper turns, most hitches are designed such that the tow bar assembly part of the hitch, which includes the hitch ball, substantially protrudes from the rear of the vehicle. This leads to problems when the trailer is not hitched to the towing vehicle as it seems that most drivers get used to the natural length of the rear of their vehicles without the trailer, knowledge they rely on when maneuvering their vehicles in close quarters, such as backing up and parallel parking. This regularly leads to misjudgments in distance and ramming the tow bar and hitch ball into other vehicles and objects.
The ramifications of bumping into another vehicle or object with the tow bar/hitch ball assembly are substantial as the impact imparts a tremendous amount of energy on a small surface area. Since most people who use such hitch apparatuses are aware of the potential problem and how easy it is for that to happen, and in order to avoid inadvertently bumping into other vehicles with the tow bar/hitch ball assembly, most drivers remove the tow bar assembly from the hitch and store it in their trunk, in the back of their pickup or in the cab of their vehicle. However, tow bar/hitch ball assemblies stored in the open further seem to be the target of thieves and are frequently stolen when stored in a readily accessible location, such as in the open back of pickup trucks.
Trailer hitch balls by their very nature require greasing and become extremely dirty during normal use, and their storage in vehicles when not being used can be a very dirty and regretful situation. Drivers' hands and clothes easily become irreversibly stained and soiled, and the inside of the vehicle also becomes stained and soiled.
A solution to this long-standing problem is further complicated because there are many different types and sizes of hitch apparatuses and different types and sizes of tow bars and hitch balls.
My invention eliminates this problem that menaces so many people who use and remove these tow bar/hitch ball assemblies from their trailer hitches, by providing a means to mount and/or store the tow bar/hitch ball apparatuses on and in the hitch apparatus itself, so it does not have to be stored in the vehicle in some way.
My invention generally provides alternative solutions for alternative hitches and tow bar/hitch ball assemblies, by providing a unique mounting and/or storage means to secure, store and mount one or more tow bar/hitch ball assemblies on and in the structural frame means.
My invention solves the inherent problems discussed herein to an extent than industry has been unable to accomplish, despite a long-standing need for a solution.